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Tha Cnso for n "llinnonito11 Diblic.al Sornnary
hhat 1'ri1Mi t :. ~,
Restricted To
Use In Library
'v
lo Tho oeeninc of the TTOrd "focus. 11
.i
2.
..
This term "focus" cam into our current. discussions out of tho depart-amtru.
deliberations of '.110 Dible teo.chors., as a uny of labeling the
phano.n3non tllat course roquiror.aits ru; currently established cD.11 for
27 ar 28 hour.J of Dible stud.ion in ~1e curriculun, incluclinc sa:ia
effort o.t COCq>Otenca in tno dead lllDgllllgos, -rJhereaa tho roqu:iremnts
in othics (to truoo an ruci;rem exorJple in tho othor diroctio.'1) nre only
3 or 4 hours. It is thoroforo clear that by "f ccus" is ooant ouch
nore than tlhethor t.he Dible should be in tha cUITiculum, a thooo
concerninG rihicil there could be no dci)Q.to. Whotevor else it roans,
"focus" therefore ::rust be token firot of all to point to .!"- sizeable
concentration o£ curricul.UI:l natorial. .in a eiven dapm'toont. This is
why harmonistic cansidero.tions about tho interpenetration of all
diaciplinea., crossing ovor the lines of cliDtinction betvreen ther.i, and
tho ca:iplooontarity o£ several emphases, uhile correct, are beside ti1e
pointo .
'lhe moan:i.nr; of "n ca.so for" a given focus.
I talce oy ass~nt to be literally that at . preparing a •oobating"
brief. It is not m:f aasigmoont to present m:r own convictims with
I!lS.Xinun corapletenass and balance, but to argue , for a cent:ering ot
e-..ipllasis at a point different frooi ,that which c'U.4·rently ·f)bt.W.nso
3. Tho. pra,,rp:iatic ~cceptance of a dcnor.rinationsl. identity.
'lhore in much that cnn be said ngainst the appropriatenoss Md the
adequacy of danominatio.11al. atructuroo as a ltey'· to do the m>I'k of tl
church. The presont argument does not intend to carry m that study,
but 01lly to d.ratt out tho implic::itions of a dacioion, nlro:ldy oade nnd,
as far a.a \70 can for tho present determine, mad.a iITevooah]J", that
denocl.nat:i.ons are to be used and that the seni narios of which w spaak
are o.ccoptinG danoainlltionnl identlfication as the basis for their
support, for recruitment, o.nd for such vritnoss tor:ro.rd t.'lie larger
Christinn cOCll'i1Uility o.s is carried on. Thus the assumption that a .
tanhorti te position exists ui1ich, as lon~ as it is held uith con.Viction,
justifies Ilannonite institutiuruJ, is not to be challenged on tho level
of institutional ident:I.ficntion3 y;o are only asld.nc uhat iDplications
this asmunption is to have for our queotion of focus.
4. Tho richtneas of the Anaba.Etis~onite position.
Duilt intc;> tho above asaumption i~ a further 0110, namely the axiomntic
cotnnitmnt of the institution to tJ.1000 peculiar positionD uhich created
the supporting denor:lination. It is difficult to identify this
"Annbnptist..Jknnonito" position in full dotD.il and yet no one would
deny ti.iat its nro.n linoo can bo diGcerncd. It ca:mot bo the purpoao
of the present paper to deocribe this position at length nor to argue
for its rid1tnoss. Thia identity oay be Geen no centeri.'1C around the
..
mo thooos of nonresistance and tho disciplines t church.. It could bo
spolled out at crentor longth in a hos-J; of varied implicntions {th~
naturo of "i:.1:10 1101.y lifo, attitudes tcxrard the state md oocioty,
tcmnrd Dible rcadinr; in ~10 public schools, tovrard the family_, Christian
education, etc~) or it could bo pursued ill the other direction by
idontifyir1g n flPSCific conception of revelation, of ~istory, of rnnn,
or of rodcnption 't'l'hich lioa behind thcoe emphases. It can not bo the
purpose of tl10 brief' to provide this defin:i.tion111
5. 1-'ho special niooion of n minority dcno::tlnation.
A denor:J.ination nhich is not aware of any unique c e.t1viction justifying
its oepnrato existence, and especially a ln.rgo denomination BS.therine
loynltios of great numbers of different ldnds of persons, and eopocially
a "inclusivist" denooina.tion, maldne a virtue of diversity ns over against
a purely defined sectarian identity~ 'WOuld have iri ito educational
__ proceos reason to be espocially concerned for "covcr:i.ng the field11 ~ for
balooce and co::iplotonaas, in onitting no elament 0£ t.'io \1llole rel:i.Gious
and culturlll herita[..,'C to be trannnittod and int.Grpreted. The reverse
is the case uhore a denoni."lation is soau, and cormitted to a specific
position of uhich it is the ou1y representative spokesman.
6. The s12ecial nppropriaterums of Uannonite diat:inotivea •.
It can bo argued., and not only from prejudiced grounds,_ timt those
specific distinctive omphasea referred to abovo are more basic theolocically
and practically ti1an those oi' sor:10 other denoainational traditions; that
is, tllQ;t the distincmass of this position has more coherence and
indcpendance than the distinctness" for ex.ample, o£ the Nazarene or the
llothodist, or the disciJ?las' positions.
It could further be argued in the alico vein that the partic'Ulnr emphases
to which we should be corrmittod are especinll.y needed 1n today's wwld;
that even thooe trtu:litions not historically' capable of grasping such
concoms are norr open to n vitness to tile distinctness ot a ohlirch tlS ·
e. discipl1nad ooey- and to a rejection o£ the idolatrous d:I mensian or .
nationalism.
7. T:.1e obligation to testify localy.
Ir our canception of the church uere hierarchical., it would be adequate
to have tliese special distinctive positions represented by a few ·
spoci~ trr.ined ecumnicaJ. spokesmn, leaving such matters out o£
the concern of tJ1e local congraaational ministry. Unfortunately, this
is just what we have by and lo.rgo boon doing. But our theory r1ould
call for the identification and articulation of tJ10 distinctive
~nnonite position in every conerecation, not only in an i.riterior teach-ing
i:ti.nistry but also in conversation with othor Christian groups and
1n challenge to the world. This means that over aaamst the interior
ainiatorial tasks to which mmiy other traditions can lim:i t their
conception of foo paatorata,, thore needS to be in the training of loeal
llinnooite 1.enderohip a concern for capacity to articulate the denomin-ational
identity nhich woul.d. not logically need to bo expected of the
graduates of tho cchools of many other traditions. A Uethodist, Disciple~:1
Ua.zarenc, or a Presbyterian pnrish I:Jiniator serves his con.:,rTegation, and
when he speaks to the larger uorld they still th1n~c he is sorvLig his
-.)-
cQI1Br0cration bocause he conf."uooo it 'Uith the norld. Seldon has he ruiy-occo.
sion to give attention to the uniqueness of n Ll()thodist or a
Disciples' . position, or to cornm:md it to other groups l'Ji10 have never
hoard of its Clair.is. This should not be the caso for the lbnnonite
leadership trained by tLla sernino.ry ID.th the deno:rirultional ld.nd of
distinctnoso of which TIO have spoken.
8" Implications for hiotorictl rootg;o.
Thia means that there is juat as much reason in a tennonite se::rl.nary
for a lively sense of historico.l roota e aa there is i.'1 nn orthodox or
Lutheran one, and much l!lore thtm in acencios serving Azooricnn denominntiona.
Tho point in such historical rootaco is in no sonso tllo glorification of
ancestors, but rather tho discerning t..~ro~h the course or history of the
points at which the aptnosEJ of thio donominational position thr0\16 oow
liG11t on the najor if:lsueo. We ahould have not so Jmlch more material in
Anabapti5t history, but rothor moro material in the history of the problem
of beiug the church in tho uorlcl" seen from an Anabaptist, parspootiveJ -
whereas "main stream" institutions can more ensily aosume that being the
church in the world is no special problem since any church-state- society-rels.
tionship is possible and tho presont "mixture" of church and society-ie
acceptable. This should therefore increase the obligation of ave'ey'
student to be more deeply grounded in the histor:r of the problem of being
the church thlm. is the ordinary person trnining for the pastorate.
9 o !4!¥@istic rooU:l~ •
.Acceptine the assumption that the l&mnonite denomine.t1on is a vebi.ela
£or tho m. tness to the larger Christian cor.imunity,, it IlUSt be recognized
that the German J.aneuace is tJ.1e predoorf nant irehicle tor international.
!:Jennonite fellowship, the only- vehicle for tlio studsr o! Ana.baptiat-
IJennon1te history (includine Dutch as a cognate), in addition to its
being tha predom1nant language beside English for other theological
diaciplines as well. Anyone planning to carry responsibility for ' th.a
articulation o£ fnith in tho modem world should be required to undergo
the '1de-tribalizatian" process of deep acquaintance with a modern
language~ German to be preferred for . the practical reo.sons indicated
o.bove. A person recognizing a "llmnonite" f'ocus to his study and
schollirship responsibility will over the years find hll1sel£ us.irig
Gornnn more oft.an and nore si(;Ilificantly than Hebrew <Jr' Oroak.
10. Contemporary Parspeotivos.
Anyone p~pnrine to tllke responsibility- for intellectual leadership in
the nodem urQ:m society- ahouJ.d be moro carefully nnd fully informed
nbout the thought currents which move about in tha modem \1orld thrui
the present D.D. graduate can possibly be on the basis of a curriculum
in ui1ich no conteraporary thoueht is roquired nnd the elective material
available on those subjects is premmtod in a marginal and amateur rrey.
Thie nust be said not only of intellectual. options which will challongo
anyone in todnyts rrorld~ it applies as \"1911 to mi undarstanding of the
min streams of social and poll tical development, tile substitute
religions of our tio3, vnd the new ai1arenoss o.:L' tho rest of tho uorld
beyond the borders of o:ir pariah or our nation. Courses in tho Christi.an
\10rld rdsaion, church history, coaparntive cultures should be taught not
mrely as technical training for professional missi~ea but as
naco::mary cultural equipIJOnt as 't19ll for those who stay at homeo
-4-
ll. Ji:lPlications far the Deployment of F!2ulty nesources.
Thus far the attention to curricul.Wll ha.a coocentrated upon tho respon-sibilities
of a person 1"lhom this cuITiculun intendD to graduate. He
shot.1.d study noro history and conteI!Iporary thought, and therefore
proporti>nately less of other things., The saI!le perspective however has
implications an well for the teachers, uhich can ooll cant som3 lit;ht
back upon possible course offerings. In a "main strorun" institution,
propnring a large nUiilber of Trorkers for relo.tivoly similnr ossigm:Xlnts,,
and rccognizirl[; in other ser.:ri.naries sister tilstitutians '\"Tith cor:iparable
tasks~ it is quite possible ,amt tho ooat use to be made of tho
capacities of some teachers rrould be tho conplete concentration upon
the vary kind of teaching they can do best, with no special concern
either for testifying to other thoologinns or for research. Again the
opposite should obtain here. Teachers in o. llannonita semi.oory should
have a disproporticnate ru:iount of time allotted to orig:iJull rosaarch,
in vieu of both "the cultliral ln{;" uhich has kapt their uork frOI!l being
done i;.1 the past and to the. uniquonoss of tho porspecti VO from much
this research Ttould be illuminated. They should also have t:l.l!le to
contribute a disproportionate .:mount of effort to interehurch relntions,
mlich follm-ro l.ikavd.se trora the uniqueness of 'vho positicn. Beyond this,,
the parlicular conception of the church (which '\7e have been nssutli.ng .
uithout havirl6 spelled it out) Trotll.d call on these sane teachers to
naintain a living contact uith tho main body of tho denom:i.nationt in
6.mncoredited) teaching and preaching ministries to the constituency
outside the walls of tho seminnry c. All of this should oonn that· t.he
availllbllity of aad.J. teacher to nana.ge a routina list of coursos Will
bo relatively lindted, so that there is great preasu.ro callin{J for a
vigorous stewnrdship1 lioitine the teacllin6 responsibilities of each
person to that r.bich he can coat uniquely contribute, and leaning on
uritten m.ater.tnls (or even on other aemin.D.rios) far their resources
in arena whero tho ll:mnonite school is not strong crr uhere tho
lbnncnite position uould not bo unique.
12. ~eoont lilthods.
The sel!li.hnry is not only an educational processJ it is also a comatmity
l'lith its Unea of authority. If uo hold to n relative conception of
the nature of tho church this coIJLJits UD to pattoms of policy naking
uh.ich nould ncod to be as unique ns is the theology. The mrk of Donovan
S!:lllCkar and Lmrrence Burkholder should be oufficient to remind ue that
a rajor challcn~e to the claims of the lbnnonite po~ition today is the
doubts held by- nany reaponsiblG paroons as to tho possibility of guiding
even church institutions by these ethical and eccl.esmri!Peical convictions11
13. The Lirai tations of a "Dibi:tcru.11 Focus o
In poi.ntinc out the inn.dequacy of n "biblical." arguraent to oo!re the
case for the present in balance of course off'erlncs, I do not rnnn to
disagrco nt all ID.th tho argument preoentod by Jacob Enz on Uoveobor llJ
but only to point out that his ll!'(,.Tlltlent does not present renaona
tor nny particular curriculun. If' it ia to the case that material fro!:l
every portion of the die.crao is to be constautly in contact trl.th biblical
resources i."l a f'ruitf"ul dialogue, voul.d it not be Dare appropriate to
let the choice of b1blico.l na.torinls nhich need to coce to 11.f'e be
made by the teachers in the fields o£ ethics or praotical TTork, rather
thrui leaving to the generally biblical acholnrs the task of determjn1ng
which elements 0£ their mater:!Al thoy are to concQ'.l:trate on? The more
time is invasted in ll. standard Bible curriculum in mich it :\S the
Bible teachers nho detormine yJiJ.ich biblical material to troat ·mid·haw.
the less time there can be for the fruit.t'ul interaction 0£ the Bibie
'7ith other portions 0£ the curriculur.i.
140 The Caso Acainst tho "Ser:ri.nnr;.Q
The pre:300tation of' o.ny further areument o.t this po:Lrit is somai.mat
hampered by the nbsenco of an affirmtivo case in the Novombor 'll
ooeting for tho limitation of theolccical education to persons who. .
plan to r:wke thoir livifl6 as proaci:iL-ig ninis""ll6rs of a local cO!l.g:rega;tion.
lli.oto1i-call.Y, this nB.?Torr.ing .has. been carried aver m. thout pro.fO ttti4
study fran non-Hennonite trad.itiansJ thiri does not iooan th-'.t it is tirong
but it does nnan that it is hard to lmmv on the basis of ,mat mtioruue
it is being advocated. Thero iD nothine in lbzlnonite thoolor.y' to ·
explain the limitation of theolo.~cal ·responsibility to ,·6ne f~μdly
B\19portod person per conereedtionJ and the core our faith ehc()Uilte~'
the opiritual and intellectual .chaUenges of n pluralistic modam
society the less it is conceiwble a.nd desirable that the .task .of
defining a Mennonite struice or acidnat these challenges could be
entrusted primarily to o. profe::Jsional cangragational. servant wose
:"lS.j or rJi.nistry is within the groupo I am not at this point arguing
acainst tho .functions 0£ such a nlnisterJ but 36ainst assuming that he
is the only one or in f o.ct the principal one needing n distinctive
Uennonito educationo In fact, as the rese.a;rch ar Pnu1 u. U:iller ha.a
showod, it is in t!le worship life of congrogntions that th.a loaat . ..
specific lbnnonite identity cooas to the our£llCeJ this seems to ~
\1hetiler tho worship leader is a soci.inary product or not. _ 'l'ha internal
functions of a professi.onal pastor \Tith raga.rd to uaddings and fUneral.B,
visitation and counsellinr;, holpin.g parsons in crisis,, lubricD.ting the
nheels of nornal congrogo.tional routine, helping needy persons, and
suparvis~ a complete a.11d bal.ancod aduco.tione.J. progrnra are the poilltS
at .,,-1hich tho specific U::mnonite identity is or least cruoio.l relevance.
I all :lot hore arguing ago.:L"'lst ouch person$• receiVing e. Umnonite
education if ue CDn m'i'ord to ~ve t~iem one, but a.gairu:Jt lir:ti.t:tng
this ednca.tion to them - ospecially uhen a.ccordinc to present pertoroonoe
such persons are insufficient in number and maturity to c~gnt:f.ons
that ask £or them - to the exclusion of other ld.nda or persona whom theao
same resourcoo ni£;ht nl.so serve.
15. The Focus ill the entire Curricultuil.
In addition to speald.n~ to the relative balance of different l::inds of
naterial in the curr:tculw:n. the De.m::l concern l7ould speak ns rmll to
the nay oaterial.D DJ."'0 dealt TTiti:l in a given dicciplineo '.I.here is a
lfennonito ruid there are nony non-!Jennonito ways to teach church history,
Old Testamnt, Narr Tosta.oent. and tho mrk of tho church, to s::iy nothing o£
those tneoloeicnl and ethical hoaciines under uhich Uennonite distinctiveo
in the narrcm senae moat easily com to tllc surface. Tho point hore
1s not simply that thought should :)()vo back and forth from biblicnl tc
historical to contomporary disciplines, for llennonito identity is not
centered either in history or systematic theolow-; tho ::!Oncern ie rather
with a choice of materials and Tii.th a set of options from m.tllin ench of
·.r
the disciplinos. Ii. IJennonite roa.diUG of church history 11ill not only
center on the sixteenth century; it TI"i.11 i·cad tho story of Constnntine
or of Tertullin.n v1ith different eyes. It uill not only prefer certain
ren:Jines of tno Sernon on the I.!oW1t or of Il01:ians 12 .:ind 13J it will
also involve sroo fund.D.nentul rudom.s about the relationship cf Old and
Hem 7cDtaoent, of justification and sanctif'ication,, of Peter D.nd Paul.
In the field of practical uo:rk it will not only favor the non-baptism
of non-believers nnd a tliDCiplioed concrogntional illo; it uill nlso
inply sone prejudices and some· oui..ssions in tho trentment of standE.rd
courne rotorinl on psychology,, sociolor,y,, uorship o.nd rJU.Sio 0
It is thus not relevant (thoush it is right) uhen the intarpenetration
of discipline is advocatod. Tho question :Ui l'fhich positions ere takan
in each discipline. lfor is it relevant ( thoucl1 nga.in it is true) that
a Uannonite school IlllSt be subjGct to biblical authority D.nd cOillllitted
to faithfulness in exegesis and ethicso The question is uhich theoos
are found central in the Dible. ·· ·
J. H. Yoder
novezilber n, 1964

. .
Tha Cnso for n "llinnonito11 Diblic.al Sornnary
hhat 1'ri1Mi t :. ~,
Restricted To
Use In Library
'v
lo Tho oeeninc of the TTOrd "focus. 11
.i
2.
..
This term "focus" cam into our current. discussions out of tho depart-amtru.
deliberations of '.110 Dible teo.chors., as a uny of labeling the
phano.n3non tllat course roquiror.aits ru; currently established cD.11 for
27 ar 28 hour.J of Dible stud.ion in ~1e curriculun, incluclinc sa:ia
effort o.t COCq>Otenca in tno dead lllDgllllgos, -rJhereaa tho roqu:iremnts
in othics (to truoo an ruci;rem exorJple in tho othor diroctio.'1) nre only
3 or 4 hours. It is thoroforo clear that by "f ccus" is ooant ouch
nore than tlhethor t.he Dible should be in tha cUITiculum, a thooo
concerninG rihicil there could be no dci)Q.to. Whotevor else it roans,
"focus" therefore ::rust be token firot of all to point to .!"- sizeable
concentration o£ curricul.UI:l natorial. .in a eiven dapm'toont. This is
why harmonistic cansidero.tions about tho interpenetration of all
diaciplinea., crossing ovor the lines of cliDtinction betvreen ther.i, and
tho ca:iplooontarity o£ several emphases, uhile correct, are beside ti1e
pointo .
'lhe moan:i.nr; of "n ca.so for" a given focus.
I talce oy ass~nt to be literally that at . preparing a •oobating"
brief. It is not m:f aasigmoont to present m:r own convictims with
I!lS.Xinun corapletenass and balance, but to argue , for a cent:ering ot
e-..ipllasis at a point different frooi ,that which c'U.4·rently ·f)bt.W.nso
3. Tho. pra,,rp:iatic ~cceptance of a dcnor.rinationsl. identity.
'lhore in much that cnn be said ngainst the appropriatenoss Md the
adequacy of danominatio.11al. atructuroo as a ltey'· to do the m>I'k of tl
church. The presont argument does not intend to carry m that study,
but 01lly to d.ratt out tho implic::itions of a dacioion, nlro:ldy oade nnd,
as far a.a \70 can for tho present determine, mad.a iITevooah]J", that
denocl.nat:i.ons are to be used and that the seni narios of which w spaak
are o.ccoptinG danoainlltionnl identlfication as the basis for their
support, for recruitment, o.nd for such vritnoss tor:ro.rd t.'lie larger
Christinn cOCll'i1Uility o.s is carried on. Thus the assumption that a .
tanhorti te position exists ui1ich, as lon~ as it is held uith con.Viction,
justifies Ilannonite institutiuruJ, is not to be challenged on tho level
of institutional ident:I.ficntion3 y;o are only asld.nc uhat iDplications
this asmunption is to have for our queotion of focus.
4. Tho richtneas of the Anaba.Etis~onite position.
Duilt intc;> tho above asaumption i~ a further 0110, namely the axiomntic
cotnnitmnt of the institution to tJ.1000 peculiar positionD uhich created
the supporting denor:lination. It is difficult to identify this
"Annbnptist..Jknnonito" position in full dotD.il and yet no one would
deny ti.iat its nro.n linoo can bo diGcerncd. It ca:mot bo the purpoao
of the present paper to deocribe this position at length nor to argue
for its rid1tnoss. Thia identity oay be Geen no centeri.'1C around the
..
mo thooos of nonresistance and tho disciplines t church.. It could bo
spolled out at crentor longth in a hos-J; of varied implicntions {th~
naturo of "i:.1:10 1101.y lifo, attitudes tcxrard the state md oocioty,
tcmnrd Dible rcadinr; in ~10 public schools, tovrard the family_, Christian
education, etc~) or it could bo pursued ill the other direction by
idontifyir1g n flPSCific conception of revelation, of ~istory, of rnnn,
or of rodcnption 't'l'hich lioa behind thcoe emphases. It can not bo the
purpose of tl10 brief' to provide this defin:i.tion111
5. 1-'ho special niooion of n minority dcno::tlnation.
A denor:J.ination nhich is not aware of any unique c e.t1viction justifying
its oepnrato existence, and especially a ln.rgo denomination BS.therine
loynltios of great numbers of different ldnds of persons, and eopocially
a "inclusivist" denooina.tion, maldne a virtue of diversity ns over against
a purely defined sectarian identity~ 'WOuld have iri ito educational
__ proceos reason to be espocially concerned for "covcr:i.ng the field11 ~ for
balooce and co::iplotonaas, in onitting no elament 0£ t.'io \1llole rel:i.Gious
and culturlll herita[..,'C to be trannnittod and int.Grpreted. The reverse
is the case uhore a denoni."lation is soau, and cormitted to a specific
position of uhich it is the ou1y representative spokesman.
6. The s12ecial nppropriaterums of Uannonite diat:inotivea •.
It can bo argued., and not only from prejudiced grounds,_ timt those
specific distinctive omphasea referred to abovo are more basic theolocically
and practically ti1an those oi' sor:10 other denoainational traditions; that
is, tllQ;t the distincmass of this position has more coherence and
indcpendance than the distinctness" for ex.ample, o£ the Nazarene or the
llothodist, or the disciJ?las' positions.
It could further be argued in the alico vein that the partic'Ulnr emphases
to which we should be corrmittod are especinll.y needed 1n today's wwld;
that even thooe trtu:litions not historically' capable of grasping such
concoms are norr open to n vitness to tile distinctness ot a ohlirch tlS ·
e. discipl1nad ooey- and to a rejection o£ the idolatrous d:I mensian or .
nationalism.
7. T:.1e obligation to testify localy.
Ir our canception of the church uere hierarchical., it would be adequate
to have tliese special distinctive positions represented by a few ·
spoci~ trr.ined ecumnicaJ. spokesmn, leaving such matters out o£
the concern of tJ1e local congraaational ministry. Unfortunately, this
is just what we have by and lo.rgo boon doing. But our theory r1ould
call for the identification and articulation of tJ10 distinctive
~nnonite position in every conerecation, not only in an i.riterior teach-ing
i:ti.nistry but also in conversation with othor Christian groups and
1n challenge to the world. This means that over aaamst the interior
ainiatorial tasks to which mmiy other traditions can lim:i t their
conception of foo paatorata,, thore needS to be in the training of loeal
llinnooite 1.enderohip a concern for capacity to articulate the denomin-ational
identity nhich woul.d. not logically need to bo expected of the
graduates of tho cchools of many other traditions. A Uethodist, Disciple~:1
Ua.zarenc, or a Presbyterian pnrish I:Jiniator serves his con.:,rTegation, and
when he speaks to the larger uorld they still th1n~c he is sorvLig his
-.)-
cQI1Br0cration bocause he conf."uooo it 'Uith the norld. Seldon has he ruiy-occo.
sion to give attention to the uniqueness of n Ll()thodist or a
Disciples' . position, or to cornm:md it to other groups l'Ji10 have never
hoard of its Clair.is. This should not be the caso for the lbnnonite
leadership trained by tLla sernino.ry ID.th the deno:rirultional ld.nd of
distinctnoso of which TIO have spoken.
8" Implications for hiotorictl rootg;o.
Thia means that there is juat as much reason in a tennonite se::rl.nary
for a lively sense of historico.l roota e aa there is i.'1 nn orthodox or
Lutheran one, and much l!lore thtm in acencios serving Azooricnn denominntiona.
Tho point in such historical rootaco is in no sonso tllo glorification of
ancestors, but rather tho discerning t..~ro~h the course or history of the
points at which the aptnosEJ of thio donominational position thr0\16 oow
liG11t on the najor if:lsueo. We ahould have not so Jmlch more material in
Anabapti5t history, but rothor moro material in the history of the problem
of beiug the church in tho uorlcl" seen from an Anabaptist, parspootiveJ -
whereas "main stream" institutions can more ensily aosume that being the
church in the world is no special problem since any church-state- society-rels.
tionship is possible and tho presont "mixture" of church and society-ie
acceptable. This should therefore increase the obligation of ave'ey'
student to be more deeply grounded in the histor:r of the problem of being
the church thlm. is the ordinary person trnining for the pastorate.
9 o !4!¥@istic rooU:l~ •
.Acceptine the assumption that the l&mnonite denomine.t1on is a vebi.ela
£or tho m. tness to the larger Christian cor.imunity,, it IlUSt be recognized
that the German J.aneuace is tJ.1e predoorf nant irehicle tor international.
!:Jennonite fellowship, the only- vehicle for tlio studsr o! Ana.baptiat-
IJennon1te history (includine Dutch as a cognate), in addition to its
being tha predom1nant language beside English for other theological
diaciplines as well. Anyone planning to carry responsibility for ' th.a
articulation o£ fnith in tho modem world should be required to undergo
the '1de-tribalizatian" process of deep acquaintance with a modern
language~ German to be preferred for . the practical reo.sons indicated
o.bove. A person recognizing a "llmnonite" f'ocus to his study and
schollirship responsibility will over the years find hll1sel£ us.irig
Gornnn more oft.an and nore si(;Ilificantly than Hebrew nately less of other things., The saI!le perspective however has
implications an well for the teachers, uhich can ooll cant som3 lit;ht
back upon possible course offerings. In a "main strorun" institution,
propnring a large nUiilber of Trorkers for relo.tivoly similnr ossigm:Xlnts,,
and rccognizirl[; in other ser.:ri.naries sister tilstitutians '\"Tith cor:iparable
tasks~ it is quite possible ,amt tho ooat use to be made of tho
capacities of some teachers rrould be tho conplete concentration upon
the vary kind of teaching they can do best, with no special concern
either for testifying to other thoologinns or for research. Again the
opposite should obtain here. Teachers in o. llannonita semi.oory should
have a disproporticnate ru:iount of time allotted to orig:iJull rosaarch,
in vieu of both "the cultliral ln{;" uhich has kapt their uork frOI!l being
done i;.1 the past and to the. uniquonoss of tho porspecti VO from much
this research Ttould be illuminated. They should also have t:l.l!le to
contribute a disproportionate .:mount of effort to interehurch relntions,
mlich follm-ro l.ikavd.se trora the uniqueness of 'vho positicn. Beyond this,,
the parlicular conception of the church (which '\7e have been nssutli.ng .
uithout havirl6 spelled it out) Trotll.d call on these sane teachers to
naintain a living contact uith tho main body of tho denom:i.nationt in
6.mncoredited) teaching and preaching ministries to the constituency
outside the walls of tho seminnry c. All of this should oonn that· t.he
availllbllity of aad.J. teacher to nana.ge a routina list of coursos Will
bo relatively lindted, so that there is great preasu.ro callin{J for a
vigorous stewnrdship1 lioitine the teacllin6 responsibilities of each
person to that r.bich he can coat uniquely contribute, and leaning on
uritten m.ater.tnls (or even on other aemin.D.rios) far their resources
in arena whero tho ll:mnonite school is not strong crr uhere tho
lbnncnite position uould not bo unique.
12. ~eoont lilthods.
The sel!li.hnry is not only an educational processJ it is also a comatmity
l'lith its Unea of authority. If uo hold to n relative conception of
the nature of tho church this coIJLJits UD to pattoms of policy naking
uh.ich nould ncod to be as unique ns is the theology. The mrk of Donovan
S!:lllCkar and Lmrrence Burkholder should be oufficient to remind ue that
a rajor challcn~e to the claims of the lbnnonite po~ition today is the
doubts held by- nany reaponsiblG paroons as to tho possibility of guiding
even church institutions by these ethical and eccl.esmri!Peical convictions11
13. The Lirai tations of a "Dibi:tcru.11 Focus o
In poi.ntinc out the inn.dequacy of n "biblical." arguraent to oo!re the
case for the present in balance of course off'erlncs, I do not rnnn to
disagrco nt all ID.th tho argument preoentod by Jacob Enz on Uoveobor llJ
but only to point out that his ll!'(,.Tlltlent does not present renaona
tor nny particular curriculun. If' it ia to the case that material fro!:l
every portion of the die.crao is to be constautly in contact trl.th biblical
resources i."l a f'ruitf"ul dialogue, voul.d it not be Dare appropriate to
let the choice of b1blico.l na.torinls nhich need to coce to 11.f'e be
made by the teachers in the fields o£ ethics or praotical TTork, rather
thrui leaving to the generally biblical acholnrs the task of determjn1ng
which elements 0£ their mater:!Al thoy are to concQ'.l:trate on? The more
time is invasted in ll. standard Bible curriculum in mich it :\S the
Bible teachers nho detormine yJiJ.ich biblical material to troat ·mid·haw.
the less time there can be for the fruit.t'ul interaction 0£ the Bibie
'7ith other portions 0£ the curriculur.i.
140 The Caso Acainst tho "Ser:ri.nnr;.Q
The pre:300tation of' o.ny further areument o.t this po:Lrit is somai.mat
hampered by the nbsenco of an affirmtivo case in the Novombor 'll
ooeting for tho limitation of theolccical education to persons who. .
plan to r:wke thoir livifl6 as proaci:iL-ig ninis""ll6rs of a local cO!l.g:rega;tion.
lli.oto1i-call.Y, this nB.?Torr.ing .has. been carried aver m. thout pro.fO ttti4
study fran non-Hennonite trad.itiansJ thiri does not iooan th-'.t it is tirong
but it does nnan that it is hard to lmmv on the basis of ,mat mtioruue
it is being advocated. Thero iD nothine in lbzlnonite thoolor.y' to ·
explain the limitation of theolo.~cal ·responsibility to ,·6ne f~μdly
B\19portod person per conereedtionJ and the core our faith ehc()Uilte~'
the opiritual and intellectual .chaUenges of n pluralistic modam
society the less it is conceiwble a.nd desirable that the .task .of
defining a Mennonite struice or acidnat these challenges could be
entrusted primarily to o. profe::Jsional cangragational. servant wose
:"lS.j or rJi.nistry is within the groupo I am not at this point arguing
acainst tho .functions 0£ such a nlnisterJ but 36ainst assuming that he
is the only one or in f o.ct the principal one needing n distinctive
Uennonito educationo In fact, as the rese.a;rch ar Pnu1 u. U:iller ha.a
showod, it is in t!le worship life of congrogntions that th.a loaat . ..
specific lbnnonite identity cooas to the our£llCeJ this seems to ~
\1hetiler tho worship leader is a soci.inary product or not. _ 'l'ha internal
functions of a professi.onal pastor \Tith raga.rd to uaddings and fUneral.B,
visitation and counsellinr;, holpin.g parsons in crisis,, lubricD.ting the
nheels of nornal congrogo.tional routine, helping needy persons, and
suparvis~ a complete a.11d bal.ancod aduco.tione.J. progrnra are the poilltS
at .,,-1hich tho specific U::mnonite identity is or least cruoio.l relevance.
I all :lot hore arguing ago.:L"'lst ouch person$• receiVing e. Umnonite
education if ue CDn m'i'ord to ~ve t~iem one, but a.gairu:Jt lir:ti.t:tng
this ednca.tion to them - ospecially uhen a.ccordinc to present pertoroonoe
such persons are insufficient in number and maturity to c~gnt:f.ons
that ask £or them - to the exclusion of other ld.nda or persona whom theao
same resourcoo ni£;ht nl.so serve.
15. The Focus ill the entire Curricultuil.
In addition to speald.n~ to the relative balance of different l::inds of
naterial in the curr:tculw:n. the De.m::l concern l7ould speak ns rmll to
the nay oaterial.D DJ."'0 dealt TTiti:l in a given dicciplineo '.I.here is a
lfennonito ruid there are nony non-!Jennonito ways to teach church history,
Old Testamnt, Narr Tosta.oent. and tho mrk of tho church, to s::iy nothing o£
those tneoloeicnl and ethical hoaciines under uhich Uennonite distinctiveo
in the narrcm senae moat easily com to tllc surface. Tho point hore
1s not simply that thought should :)()vo back and forth from biblicnl tc
historical to contomporary disciplines, for llennonito identity is not
centered either in history or systematic theolow-; tho ::!Oncern ie rather
with a choice of materials and Tii.th a set of options from m.tllin ench of
·.r
the disciplinos. Ii. IJennonite roa.diUG of church history 11ill not only
center on the sixteenth century; it TI"i.11 i·cad tho story of Constnntine
or of Tertullin.n v1ith different eyes. It uill not only prefer certain
ren:Jines of tno Sernon on the I.!oW1t or of Il01:ians 12 .:ind 13J it will
also involve sroo fund.D.nentul rudom.s about the relationship cf Old and
Hem 7cDtaoent, of justification and sanctif'ication,, of Peter D.nd Paul.
In the field of practical uo:rk it will not only favor the non-baptism
of non-believers nnd a tliDCiplioed concrogntional illo; it uill nlso
inply sone prejudices and some· oui..ssions in tho trentment of standE.rd
courne rotorinl on psychology,, sociolor,y,, uorship o.nd rJU.Sio 0
It is thus not relevant (thoush it is right) uhen the intarpenetration
of discipline is advocatod. Tho question :Ui l'fhich positions ere takan
in each discipline. lfor is it relevant ( thoucl1 nga.in it is true) that
a Uannonite school IlllSt be subjGct to biblical authority D.nd cOillllitted
to faithfulness in exegesis and ethicso The question is uhich theoos
are found central in the Dible. ·· ·
J. H. Yoder
novezilber n, 1964